Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Will I Still Be A Good Mom?

Welcome to the February 2014 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Parenting FearsThis post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories and wisdom about parenting fears.
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Before having my twins, I couldn't wait to be a mom. But I usually imagined myself with big kids, not babies. So it surprised me when I really loved the tiny baby stage!

Of course, it was challenging.

And with two babies, everything was even more difficult than I had thought/hoped. To be more specific, breastfeeding was a struggle in the beginning, but it was my top priority and soon became one of my favorite aspects of motherhood and my relationship with my babies.

As a new mom separated from my family and friends, I second-guessed most of my actions in the twins' first year. But breastfeeding was never one of those things.

Breast is best, after all, and I felt good knowing that on at least one level, I was providing my children with the unequivocal best I could offer.

But now that my babies are sixteen-month-old toddlers, that part of our relationship is changing and it's bittersweet and frankly, it makes me a little uneasy.

Now we're getting into the flesh of parenthood: tantrums that require empathy, behavior that needs guidance, imaginations that crave creativity.

And I wonder, will I know how to provide them with what they need?

Without the assurance that I'm doing "the best" for my children, will I still be a good mom?

Twin Manibreasto is the story of my experience breastfeeding twins and is part of the Essential Parenting Collection, offered by my affiliate partner Mindful Nurturing. You can get this lovely eBook, along with 34 other quality eProducts for only $49.97.
Alternatively, you can get the module Parenting the Early Years for $19.97, giving you access to:

The Colic Solution, by Nicolette Roux

Twin Manibreasto, by Mercedes R. Donis

The Natural Parent's Guide to Babywearing, by Lauren Wayne

A one-year subscription to JUNO magazine

What Not to Say: Tools for Talking to Young Children, by Sarah Maclaughlin

Oxytocin Parenting: Womb through the Terrible Twos, by Susan Kuchinskas and Bryan Post

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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

When Parents' Fears Escalate — If we didn't self-doubt, we probably wouldn't care enough about our children to struggle with understanding them. But how do we overcome self-doubt? Read advice from Laurie Hollman, Ph.D., guest posting today at Natural Parents Network.

What ifs of addiction — After seeing how addictions of adult children is badly hurting a family close to her heart, Hannah at HannahandHorn shares her fears for her own child.

Sharing My Joy — Kellie at Our Mindful Life shares her fear that others think she is judgmental because she makes alternative choices for her own family.

Building My Tribe Fearlessly — A meteorite hit Jaye Anne at Tribal Mama's family when she was seven years old. Read the story, how she feels about that now, and how she is building her tribe fearlessly.

Fear: Realized — Laura from Pug in the Kitchen shares how her fear of car accidents was realized and how she hopes to be able to use her efforts to overcome the remaining fears to help her children overcome their own.

My Greatest Fear For My Child — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama admits that she has struggled with not allowing her fears to control her and how the reality of this was blown wide open when she became a mother.

Proactive Steps to Calm Parenting Fears — Every parent has certain fears related to dangerous situations, That Mama Gretchen shares ways she is preparing herself and her children for emergencies.

Out of Mind, Out of Fear — How does Jorje of Momma Jorje deal with her pretty steep, long-term fears regarding her son's future?

I Don't Homeschool to Manage My Kids' Transcripts — One of Dionna at Code Name: Mama's fears of parenting is that she will get so caught up in the monotony, the details of homeschooling, the minutiae of everyday life, the routine of taking care of a household - that she will forget to actually be present in the moment with her children.

Beware! Single Mom Camping — Erica at ChildOrganics shares her first adventures as a single mom. She laughed, she cried, she faced her fears.

Parenting Fears And Reality Checks — Luschka from Diary of a First Child shares her three biggest fears as a parent - that most parents share - looks at the reality behind these fears, and offers a few suggestions for enjoying parenting.

Roaming — sustainablemum considers whether allowing your children freedom to explore the world safely is harder now than in the past.

Meeting my parenting fears head-on — Lauren at Hobo Mama had many fears before she became a parent. Learn how they all came true — and weren't anywhere near as scary as she'd thought.

Don't fear the tears — Justine at The Lone Home Ranger worried that letting her children cry when going to sleep was tantamount to the dreaded parenting moniker, CIO. She discusses what actually happened after those teary nights, and how she hopes these lessons can carry forward to future parenting opportunities.

Will I Still be a Good Mom? — Mercedes at Project Procrastinot worries about her mothering skills now that breastfeeding is no longer the top priority.